Peripheral Catheter

Abstract

Catheter assemblies that can reduce the occurrence of kinking of a catheter when the catheter assembly is secured to a surface of the patient's skin are provided herein. In accordance with various aspects, the catheter hub is shaped such that a catheter extending therefrom lies substantially flat on the patient's skin and/or the distance between the orifice from which the catheter hub extends and the surface of the patient's skin when the catheter assembly is secured thereto is minimized, thereby reducing the stress experienced by the catheter when the catheter hub is secured to the skin.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An intravascular catheter assembly, comprising:
 a catheter hub extending from a proximal end to a distal nose portion and defining an internal cavity configured to receive at least a portion of a needle assembly, the distal nose portion having an orifice extending therethrough and configured to receive a needle for insertion into a patient's skin; and   a catheter extending distally from the nose portion to a distal end configured to be disposed within a patient's blood vessel, the catheter defining a lumen through which the needle extends when disposed within said orifice,   wherein the nose portion comprises a surface configured to be disposed on the patient's skin when the catheter hub is secured to the patient's skin, the surface being shaped so as to prevent kinking of a length of the catheter extending from the nose portion to an insertion site of the catheter in the patient's skin.   
     
     
         2 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said surface comprises a planar surface extending proximally from a terminal distal end of the catheter hub. 
     
     
         3 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the surface is configured to lie flat against the patient's skin when the catheter hub is secured onto the patient's skin. 
     
     
         4 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said orifice extends along a longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         5 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said distal nose portion is asymmetric about said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         6 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the surface is disposed along the longitudinal axis of the orifice and the surface is not parallel or perpendicular thereto. 
     
     
         7 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said surface is disposed along the longitudinal axis at an angle between about 5 degrees and about 30 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         8 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said angle is between about 8 degrees and about 15 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         9 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the orifice is substantially parallel to an insertion angle of the catheter into the patient's skin when the catheter hub is secured onto the patient's skin. 
     
     
         10 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said surface comprises a substantially planar surface extending along at least a portion of the length of the nose portion. 
     
     
         11 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said substantially planar surface extends proximally beyond the nose portion. 
     
     
         12 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said surface is shaped such that the length of the catheter extending from the nose portion to the insertion site of the catheter lies substantially flat against the patient's skin. 
     
     
         13 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a minimum distance between the orifice and the surface is less than about 2 mm. 
     
     
         14 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a minimum distance between the orifice and the surface is less than about 1 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a proximal end of the catheter is coupled to the distal nose portion. 
     
     
         16 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a proximal end of the catheter is disposed within the catheter hub, said catheter extending distally through said orifice. 
     
     
         17 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the length of the catheter extending from the nose portion to the insertion site of the catheter is less than about 1 cm when the catheter is secured to the patient's skin. 
     
     
         18 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a needle assembly coupled to the proximal end of the catheter hub, the needle assembly having a needle extending distally through said orifice and catheter. 
     
     
         19 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 18 , wherein said needle is configured to be removed from the catheter after disposing said distal end of the catheter within the patient's blood vessel. 
     
     
         20 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a terminal, distal end of the catheter hub is concave. 
     
     
         21 . The intravascular catheter assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the catheter extends from said surface.